NFL DRAFT COVERAGE including the Packers' picks, a gallery of top prospects, mock drafts and more.

Green Bay — From Day 1, the cornerback position has been valued under Ted Thompson.

In 2007, he inked Charles Woodson to a (then-questionable) seven-year, $52 million deal. He tacked on a pair of years to Al Harris' deal. In 2010, he signed Tramon Williams to a five-year, $38 million deal. This off-season, Sam Shields signed at $39 million over four years.

In the draft, he replenishes the position often.

So this May, even if cornerback is a position of strength, it'd be no surprise if the Packers stock up. This year's group may lack a surefire top 10 talent. There isn't a Patrick Peterson here. There are many late-first, early-second round talents that could provide depth in a receiver-rich NFC North.

Chicago's offense is anchored by Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, who combined for 321 yards and three touchdowns against Green Bay last season. Calvin Johnson remains the blueprint for the position and a thorn in Green Bay's side. Minnesota's Greg Jennings will rebound with better quarterback play.

Even after re-signing Shields, the Packers could add another corner early. Williams enters the final year of his deal.

If so, do the Packers add a speedy, athletic corner who could also return kicks? Or should they consider supplementing their current group with a taller, longer, aggressive cover corner? There's a pinch of everything this year. Oklahoma State's Justin Gilbert and Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard are the top two available.

"I think he's a pretty complete player," Gilbert said of Dennard. "He's not as fast me. I can tell you that....Pretty similar (games). He's a pretty good ballhawk. He does a good job of playing the ball in the air as well as me."

1. JUSTIN GILBERT,

OKLAHOMA STATE

6-0, 202, 4.37

Lowdown: Any cornerback who runs that fast and is on this side of 6 feet tall will turn heads. Gilbert transferred this size/speed combo to big plays, too. He had five interceptions as a sophomore and seven (for 123 yards) as a senior, picking off the likes of Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill. On his pick of Luck, he cut underneath tight end Coby Fleener to make a circus, leaping catch on the sideline. Gilbert should double as a returner, too. He racked up nearly 3,000 kick-return yards in his four seasons, averaging 26.3 yards per return. Said Gilbert, "I think I'm a dangerous return man with the ball in my hands, and on an interception there is always a possibility for me to take it back to house." In coverage, he estimates he was in press 70% of the time. Gilbert was not consistent in run support.

Projection: First round.

2. DARQUEZE DENNARD, MICHIGAN STATE

5-11, 199, 4.51

Lowdown: Dennard earned the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back in 2013 after totaling 62 tackles, 10 breakups and four interceptions. The team captain was an unanimous first-team All-American selection. Dennard was known as an aggressive, strong, press corner. In 2012, Dennard played through a sports hernia injury that required off-season surgery. He has also endured shoulder, ankle and knee injuries, in addition to a concussion. The knee injury ended his 2010 season, but Dennard often played through pain. He managed 17 breakups and seven interceptions his final two seasons despite quarterbacks avoiding him.

Projection: First round.

3. KYLE FULLER, VIRGINIA TECH

6-0, 190, 4.49

Lowdown: Fuller is one of four brothers to play for the Hokies and has the upside to be the best. His oldest brother, Vincent, spent seven seasons in the pros. Corey Fuller currently plays for Detroit, and he also has a younger brother still at on Virginia Tech. A sports hernia injury limited him to nine games last season, as he finished with 24 tackles, 10 breakups and two interceptions. The season prior, Fuller had 52 tackles, five breakups and two picks. A team captain, Fuller was the leader of the Virginia Tech defense. He tracks the ball in flight as well as any corner in the draft. Fuller has experience in zone where he reads and reacts. Similar to Hayward, he plays one move ahead. Not as strong as Dennard, Fuller didn't shut down wideouts one-on-one as often.

Projection: First round.

4. JASON VERRETT, TCU

5-9, 189, 4.38

Lowdown: The explosive Verrett has made waves in workouts. His combine performance might have been the best of any defensive player — the 40 (4.38 seconds, second among all cornerbacks), short shuttle (4.0, first), vertical jump (39 inches, third), broad jump (128 inches, third) and three-cone drill (6.69, third) proved Verrett is an elite athlete. Verrett was named the co-Big 12 defensive player of the year in 2013 with 39 tackles (31/2 for loss), 14 break|-ups and two interceptions. He gritted through the season with a torn labrum suffered in the third game of the season. Verrett wore a brace in practice and didn't take a shot for the pain. On the injury, he Verrett said "It's a physical game. You're going to have to play injured sometimes just to get through the season. That's what I had to do." The obvious concern with Verrett is his height. He also only has only 30-inch arms.

Projection: First round.

5. BRADLEY ROBY, OHIO STATE

5-11, 194, 4.39

Lowdown: In 2012, Roby tied an Ohio State record with 17 pass breakups. His encore in 2013 was just as impressive, with the cornerback totaling 69 tackles, three interceptions (for 130 yards) and 13 breakups. Roby can change direction without a hitch and accelerate in a hurry. The corner can blitz off the edge (see: sack vs. California), is athletic (see: diving blocked punts) and can take out bigger backs low in run support. Roby can be beaten deep — struggled mightily against Wisconsin's Jared Abbrederis on double -moves.

Projection: Second round.

6. MARCUS ROBERSON, FLORIDA

6-0, 191, 4.61

Lowdown: Possibly no corner faced better competition than Roberson. Injury and suspension limited Roberson to only seven games (four starts) last season. He finished with 23 tackles, 14 breakups and two interceptions the year prior, faring well against Texas A&M's Mike Evans and others. Roberson knows when to break on a ball, using his length to his advantage — replay his end-zone breakup of Johnny Manziel's lob to Evans. He can defend the deep out, too. Roberson's tackling is suspect. He admits he must add strength — only eight reps at 225 — to excel in run support in the pros. The corner only managed only 34 tackles his last two seasons.

Projection: Second round.

7. LAMARCUS JOYNER,

FLORIDA STATE

5-8, 184, 4.55

Lowdown: As one of the shortest defensive backs in the draft, you wonder where exactly Joyner will find a home. Corner? Safety? The answer is probably a combination of both. Joyner is a diminutive DB at 5-8, but is a violent, quick decision-maker who could be an ideal nickel corner in the pros. On the national champions, Joyner had 69 tackles (seven for loss), 51/2 sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions. Served as the leader of the FSU defense. Joyner believes experience battling 6-foot-5 Kelvin Benjamin in practice has helped him learn how to compensate for his lack of size. saying "Even if they're on the line two seconds fighting with you, that's a win for me. There are different ways to cover different guys."

Projection: Second round.

8. KEITH MCGILL, UTAH

6-3, 211, 4.51

Lowdown: McGill is a long (33¼-inch arms), explosive (39-inch vertical) corner who broke up 12 passes with one interception returned for a touchdown last year. He's one corner with the elite size needed to battle the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson at the ball's highest point. His father is a doctor and McGill has a daughter himself. In the Pac-12, he was an honorable mention selection—the 12 breakups led the conference. Questionable quickness. McGill recorded the worst three-cone drill time at the combine (7.29 seconds).

Projection: Second round.

9. PIERRE DESIR, LINDENWOOD

6-1, 198, 4.59

Lowdown: The Haiti native emigrated to St. Louis, Mo., at the age of 4. He intercepted Very mature for his age, Desir has two daughters and juggled several jobs while intercepting 25 passes at two Division II schools (Washburn and Lindenwood). His nine interceptions in 2012 ranked second among all NCAA levels. At 6-1 with 33-inch arms and a 133-inch broad jump, he boasts a unique blend of size and explosiveness—the combo all teams are searching for in light of Seattle's run. Desir is an unknown and might need a year to develop, but has Pro Bowl potential.

Projection: Third round.

10. STANLEY JEAN-BAPTISTE, NEBRASKA

6-3, 218, 4.61

Lowdown: Speaking of cornerbacks with outstanding size, Jean-Baptise may have the best frame of them all. He has the look of a possession wide receiver — Jean-Baptiste originally was a wideout at Nebraska — and is sneaky athletic (411/2-inch vertical). In his 13 starts last season at Nebraska, Jean-Baptiste covered the opposition's top wideout weekly, finishing with four picks. He doesn't change direction as sharply as others. Jean-Baptise is more of a glider and runs through ball carries. Jean-Baptise was ejected for targeting after a huge hit vs. Purdue.